How many hens do I need to keep 3 roosters happy???

[Granolamom]

Hello, all you fellow chicken friends!
Okay, here's my problem:
We inherited 4 chicks from our son's Kindergarden class back in May, and now it turns out that 3 of them are roosters (barred rocks). We've been trying to find good homes for 2 of them (Chuck and Luck), but to no avail. Our 6 year old insists that they not be cooked (we don't really want to, either...), and so now we're actually considering purchasing some hens for them, so that we can keep them all. My question is, what's the minimum amount of hens I can get away with? They're free range in our front yard, have plenty of space to spread out and get away from each other, and I'm having a larger house built for them this week, which will accomodate about 12 or so inhabitants at night.
Please give me some advice, this is our first time having chickens, and we are really in a jam right now, because the boys are 4 1/2 months old now, just started crowing, and are starting to look funny at Frieda, our only hen........

 

[keljonma]

1 roo for 15 hens is a good balance, no one ends up with naked back.

 

[chickenannie]

Agree...1 to 15 is a good ratio. Hmmm that would mean you'd need 44 hens. Hmmm... Now you know why we all have so many chickens!

(Or why there are so many threads on here about how to re-home vs. butcher a roo)...

 

[Granolamom]

Oh my god, we are in soooooooooo much trouble...!

 

[Granolamom]

Okay, got another qustion: how about all these people who just have 1 rooster with 1 or two hens, and they seem to be doing just fine? There's a guy at a local feed store who has a roo and his girl living right there in the store, and she does not have a bare back... . Any thoughts...? I know I'm reachin', but maybe there's a way...?

 

[Katy]

The guy in the store has one on one....which isn't good either but you're going to have 3 on 1.....they'll breed your one poor hen into the ground...if she survives.

 

[flakey chick]

Another option is to get rid of the girl. Virgin roosters can live together as long as they don't see any girls. It would mean forgoing eggs, but it would be easier to find a good home for a hen without the threat of a stewpot.

 

[debilorrah]

You need 45 hens. OHMIGOSH

 

[ChooksinIowa]

Try Craig's List to find homes for the extra roosters - it certainly seems to work around here!

 

[debilorrah]

Or a local feed store. We bought our chicks with the guarantee that they would take back any roo's. No cost, no problem.